Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-05-01
STILL GATHERING STRENGTH.
Hon. d. g. GiddIngs a Strong Anh-Pro.
hibitionst.

Hon. ID. g. GiddIngs Strong Anti-PrO
hibitionst.
BRENNAN, TEX, April 9.-Gentlemen
, Your letter inviting me to participate il
a convention to be held at Dallas on Ma
, 5, composed of those who are opposed +
the adoption of the proposed emendmen
to the constitution to be submitted to
vote of the people in August next, is re
ceiYed, and would have been ansWere,
earlier but for my absence from hom
and other engagements. l am in full
sympathy with those who oppose sale
amendment.
l. Because l believe it contrary to thu
genius and spirit of our government, IN
democratic, and an I'M ury to true temp
eranee reform.
2. Because if adopted it will prove {
failure and result in the overthrow Of
Democratic institutions and an injury tt
the best interests of the people and the
state.
am in favor of temperance in all
things, and regret that it has not been
Ieft moral and social question and kept
out of politics.
But as the Prohibition party
has appealed to the political
power of the state, 1t is
made purely a political question, aud
there is no escape from it. In my judg-
ment, never in the history of this state
has there been clearer cut issue pre-
scented to the Democracy than IS en-
braCed In this amendment. 1t attacks q
vital principle of we'll established Demo
cratic faith; it seeks to destroy the per-
sOnal rights of the citizen, and to deprive
him of the exercise of rights in which
there is no crime.
The growing tendency of our country
to rely Tor everything upon legislation is
alarming to all VINO have reflected on the
great evil done the national cha acter.
Men VINO made the revolution a gl-rious
success, the revolt of Texas from Mexico
victorious, could never have been grown
where governed by laws which lessened
their moral or personal responsibility.
The prohibition convention in 1880
arralgned the Democratic party because
of its opposition to all sumptuary laws.
The issue is squaTely presented to the
Democracy of Texas and there is no
escape from il. 1t must be boldly met
and crushed out or the Democratic party
is defeated and disrupted until this
fanaticsm works It's own defeat, and
Democratic principles revive and re-
assert themselves. 1t will not do to
retire behind the fimsy breastWork of
the local option resolution of the
late Democratic convention, and those
who seek such shelter must be
shelled out. what would be though, of
a general who would attempt to hold his
army together when under fire of the
enemy from all directions, by ordering mis-
men to throw away their arms? Many
brave men under such orders would either
desert and go to the enemy, or seek
safety in flight. The only way to hold
an army together when under fire is to
order charge on the enemy, and put
every one to active fighting; so when a
political question is presented, let the
forces be rallied and the whole line put
in motion, and victory for the right is
Any other course insures de- |
feat. :.
Mankind is much alike the world over, |
and statistics abundantIy prove that in
OJner states where prohibition has been
adopted it does not prohibit; that the |
moral sense of the people revolt at this
species of inqu1sitiOnal laws and they be-
come dead letters upon the statute books,
thus weakening respect for other laws;
that drunkenness and crime Increase
rather than diminish, and that the state
loses the revenue legitimately due from
the use Of what may be classed as 9 lux
urY.
Alcohol is found in nearly everything
that grows and men will extract and use
It, and some will, in all probability, abuse
t, as they do articles of food.
1t is not the use but the abuse that is
wrong. Punish those who abuse it and
Ire alone guilty of any crime, but do not
attempt to punish the innocent for the
crimes of others. This is q question
lpou which Democrats and Republicans
nay unite against common enemy, for
assails the personal rights of the citi- (
en-. -
It Is an importation of New England fs- {
aticism that ought not to take root in s
ne south, or with a people who value III
ersonaI and civil liberty. IL
II my engagements will permit will bel {
Nth you at the convention, and | hope toi
ee a vigorous campaign lnaugurated la
bat will forever crush out this species of +
lnatiCism. Yours truly, t
D. c. GIDDINGs.
To Hon. Barnett Gibbs, Walter Gre q
nam Ell al. committee